Creative ZiiSound D5 Bluetooth Speakers Reviewed

[EnzoTen]

I wrote up a review on these speakers, they are quite nice- Creative ZiiSound D5

[CrowdAds]

[bakseetdrivr]

Nice review, I wish i had a nice pair like that (or a player that would work with it haha)

just thought i bring a spelling error to your attention. In the last paragraph:

I tried a lot of different devices, most worked and most sounded great so done let that deter you since issues tend to be more so with older devices, just understand you may have some issues.

[Xinz]

A 1st for bluetooth device sounding good?

[Poopelyse]

Nice review. Did you test the speakers with the Samsung P3? Also, I found this deal on the Creative Website - you get the $40 Creative USB Bluetooth dongle for free. Use the coupon code VF9VM2QS

[Franki]

Nice review. Will you review the Cowon J3 also? I saw in the review that you have it, so that shouldn't be the problem

[PowerTorsk]

This must be the first positive review of a Creative product in a long time here at ABI... which I am very pleased with

Comparing this sound system to the sound of some high-end headphones, how do they stack up? And by high-end headphones, I mean Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10vi, or something close to that.

Thanks for the review!

[BruceBanner]

How does the Ziisound D5 compare with creatives Inspire S2 Wireless Bleutooth speakers http://au.store.creative.com/product...iler_AU_090710

There is a significant price difference between the two so would be very interested to know the difference in sound quality.

Cheers,

Bruce

[EnzoTen]

I was thinking about picking up a pair to compare them, the D5s have been treating me well so im curious to konw how the S2 sounds since it does include APT-x.

[BruceBanner]

Oh please do! I'd love to hear your comparisons!

[cathna]

is it really that good? I'm pretty happy with Supertooth which I bought from Hypercel. In comparison, it might be better Can you do a review/comparison on them as well?

[BruceBanner]

I have enzoten's D5 speakers he reviewed above and have just ordered the s2's (http://au.store.creative.com/speaker...s/4-19009.aspx) will let u know how they compare when i get around to testing them.

[BruceBanner]

Well i unpacked the S2's and set them up and I am very very impressed with how they sound. To my ears they sound louder and hold the bass better than the more expensive D5's.
I must also point out I paid $379 for the D5's and just $75 for the S2's! The biggest difference is that the D5 is more portable (indeed I just took it with me for a month long trip to the UK). The D5 is fairly heavy, not really meant to be portable but I found a neat camera bag that took it and protected it well.
If anyone wants to experience apt-x bluetooth sound and don't mind a 2.1 system then I would HIGHLY recommend the S2's from Creative.

[skip252]

Originally Posted by BruceBanner

If anyone wants to experience apt-x bluetooth sound and don't mind a 2.1 system then I would HIGHLY recommend the S2's from Creative.

Share the love. Give us a full review. Don't just tempt us with better than...

If apt-x Bluetooth is a nice step up I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one wanting to hear more from an experienced user. Just as a heads up, can they compare favorably to wired speakers or are they just an improvement on the older Bluetooth?

[BruceBanner]

I do intend to do a full review and comparison but I lack the vocabulary bs that some other reviewers tend to have that add somewhat to a review. All I know is when something sounds good to my ears and when something sounds naff. Everyone has different expectations and standards towards audio quality and I think that has a big part to play.

For example, I used to use the old fashioned stock buds with mp3 players and thought the sound was good, but then a friend of mine introduced me to Etymotic er6's and I was blown away (this was some 8-10yrs ago). Since then I have used V-Moda Vibes and Super fi 5's IEMs which i consider to be a substantial improvement over Etymotic Er6's. So basically I seem to (to my ears) be moving upwards in terms of audio quality.

When it comes to speaker setups and not headphones I'm more nub. I own Logitech's Z-5500 5.1 Home theatre System and to my ears they sound amply good enuff. They hold bass well and have PLENTY of volume. This is the standard I am currently used to for a wired connection setup. These speakers are regarded to many audiophiles as being a ample enuff for a HTPC or at least a good starting position (especially for the price tag as they were CHEAPER than the Creative Bluetooth D5's). Certainly I have no plans to upgrade from them.

So when i say a certain speaker system like the S2's are 'decent' bare in mind what I am used to hearing. Certainly neither the S2's or D5 can even come CLOSE to doing what the z-5500's can do, but of course these are very different speaker systems and need to be treated as such.
For me all i know is that I have tried other regular non apt-x bluetooth speakers and have been dissapointed in the sound quality. Hissing and other weird boops and bleeps seemed to be the norm, but the apt-x seems to carry none of that and indeed I can't tell a noticeable difference when using the S2's or D5's via the apt-x dongles vs a 3.5mm aux (which both speakers carry).

What i do detest tho is marketing pictures showing the S2's looking wireless in terms of picture images. The speakers indeed have wires going to the subwoofer whereas all marketing images show the satellite speakers with no wires. I thought they also might be wireless and communicating with each other and the sub wirelessly as well as being bluetooth. Shameful tut tut.